290 The Principles of Fruit -growing. 



cions. These cions are of the same kind as those 

 which are used for ordinary grafting. The edges 

 of the girdle are pared down to fresh wood, and 

 the eions are cut two or three inches longer than 

 the width of the girdle. They are whittled to a 

 wedge shape upon either end, and these ends are 

 inserted between the bark and the wood upon the 

 upper and lower sides of the girdle. They should 

 be so numerous as to almost touch each other en- 

 tirely around the tree. After they are inserted, a 

 strip of cloth should be bound tightly upon the 

 bark over their ends, and the whole girdle should 

 then be waxed over. It is a good plan to pour 

 melted wax over the work, allowing it to run in 

 between the cions and cover the edges of the bark 

 and the exposed surface of wood. 



The congestion of the parts of the plant im- 

 mediately above the girdle shows that those parts 

 are overfed ; that is, they receive nutriment at the 

 expense of the portions below the girdle. It would 

 seem, therefore, that girdling might be made to in- 

 crease the size and hasten the maturity of fruit 

 which is borne beyond the girdle ; and such is 

 known to be the case. The girdling of grapes is 

 a common practice in some regions. The girdled 

 portions are entirely removed in the next annual 

 pruning, and enough of the growing portion is left 

 below the girdle to maintain the roots and trunk. 

 It will be seen, therefore, that the liability of in- 

 jury to the vine is all a question of how much is 

 left below the girdle and how much above it. 



